Cap applying apparatus



y 1967 s. J. KOLL ETAL 3,332,211

CAP APPLYING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 24, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORSNLEY J K044 J/m M. Focus A TORNEY July 25, 1967 5. J. KOLL ETAL CAPAPPLYING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 24. 1964 J: KOLL ib/#4 M.Eaaus INVENTORS SfAM LEY ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,332,211 CAPAPPLYING APPARATUS Stanley J. Koll, Keansburg, N.J., and John M. Rocus,Elk Grove Village, Ill., assignors to American Flange & ManufacturingCo. Inc., New York, NY. Filed Dec. 24, 1964, Ser. No. 420,918 8 Claims.(Cl. 53353) This invention relates to apparatus for applying containerclosures and is particularly concerned with an improved apparatus ortool for crimping lightweight closure caps onto container necks.

This invention is particularly concerned with an improved apparatus ortool for applying lightweight closure caps by a crimping action over theopenings in bottle necks and wherein the closure caps are of the typewhich can be destroyed and removed by hand action with out the use ofany tools. Heretofore such hand removable lightweight closure caps wereapplied over the openings in the bottles by a spinning or rollingprocess. Such a process is carried out by using a spinning head having aplurality of disc-like rollers adapted to be moved radially inwardly soas to deform the depending skirt portion inwardly into sealingengagement with the bottle neck. It has been found that this spinningprocess not only requires a complicated apparatus but such apparatus isnot readily adaptable to a bottling plant that already has non-spinningapparatus for applying standard crown seals to bottle openings by acrimping action. Additionally it has been found that the spinningprocess applied to this type of closure cap has some structural adverseeffects due to the deforming of the metal and the hardening actionimparted to the metal by the spinning rollers. All of thesedisadvantages of the spinning apparatus are overcome by this improvedclosure cap applying apparatus.

The present lightweight closure caps which provide pressure-resistantbut hand destructible closing and sealing caps for the openings ofbottles are provided with a scored area which extends across the top ofthe cap and continuously extends across the downwardly depending skirtand terminates in a tab or ear extending beyond the skirt portion. Theuse of a conventional closure cap crimping tool to apply such alightweight closure cap to a bottle opening has proved unsuccessfulbecause such tools cause a puckering of the metal in the skirt portionof the cap between the conventional crimping jaws as they move the skirtportion of the cap radially inwardly. Any puckering of the metal in theskirt portion of the closure cap is undesirable because of possibleleakage in the puckered area. Additionally the metal surrounding thepuckered area is weakened during the puckering and since the contents ofthe bottle are under some pressure the possibility exists that such acap will be blown off. The novel closure cap applying tool described andclaimed herein eliminates all of these prior objections by providing acrimping tool that seals a lightweight closure cap onto a bottle openingwithout crimping the metal in the cap and without the disadvantages of aspun on closure cap.

It is accordingly a principal object of this invention to provide newand improved apparatus for applying closures to containers.

Another object is to provide new and improved apparatus for crimpinglightweight metal closure caps onto bottles.

Another object is to provide a closure cap crimping apparatus whicheliminates pinching of the cap skirt between the crimping jaws.

A further object is to provide improved closure cap crimping apparatushaving means to automatically compensate for dimensional variations inthe container necks to which such caps are applied.

A further object is to provide crimping apparatus for 3,332,211 PatentedJuly 25, 1967 applying closure caps having a scored area to containerswith suflicient force to effect a pressure seal without damaging saidscoring.

A still further object is to provide a closure cap crimping apparatuswherein the sealing anvil portions of each of the crimping jaws aremated on an angle.

Further and more detailed objects of the invention will in part beobvious and in part be pointed out as the description of the invention,taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing proceeds.

In that drawing:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of the cap applying apparatus in accordancewith the invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section of the cap applying head and associatedworkpiece showing the crimping jaws in open or expanded position;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but with the jaws in closed orcrimping position;

FIG. 4- is a bottom plan view of the applying head alone taken on line4-4 of FIG. 3 and looking in 'the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 4 andlooking on the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 6 is a greatly enlarged vertical section, partly cut away, of acrimping jaw sealing anvil applying a cap to a container; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of a pair of mated crimping jawsealing anvils.

Considering first the cap applying apparatus of the invention asgenerally shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, it can be seen that the principalparts thereof comprise a cap applying head generally indicated by 1, abearing member 2 for supporting the cap applying head 1, and anactuating means 3 for moving the cap applying head into operativerelationship with a cap and a bottle opening. The specific details ofthe cap applying head forms an important part of this invention and willbe described in full detail hereinafter. However, continuing with thestructural aspects of the invention, it can be seen that the capapplying head 1 is selectively moved toward and away from a bottle heldstationary in alignment with said head by the actuating means 3 whichcomprises a conventional double acting piston and cylinder combination.The cap applying head 1 is secured in any suitable manner to the nectedto an enlarged cylindrical housing 7. As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3 abore 13 extends through a major portion of cylinder 6. The inner surfaceof the bore is partially threaded at 8 to receive the threaded endportion of a sleeve 9. A circumferential flange 10 at the lower end ofsleeve 9 contacts the wall 11 when said sleeve is fully seated withincylinder 6. A pair of wrench engaging slots 12 are formed into theflange 10 from the under surface thereof to facilitate the insertion andremovable of the same. Slideably received within the sleeve 9 is aspindle 15 having a collar 16 near the upper end thereof and terminatingin a shank 17 of reduced diameter. Surrounding the shank 17 is a helicalcompression spring 18 extending between the 'collar 16 and the end wall19 of the bore 13 and adapted to be compressed therebetween and tonormally retain the collar 16 in contact with the end of sleeve 9. Thelower end of spindle 15 is provided with a tapped hole 20 and a shallowbore 21. Secured to the lower end of spindle 15 by means of screw 22 isan insert member 23 having at its upper end a reduced portion 24received within the bore 21 and terminating at its lower free end in acap receiving nest 25. A shoulder 26 is integrally formed on the insertmember 23 and has an upper surface 27 for pivotally supporting aplurality of annularly arranged jaws 28.

The lightweight cap 41 which is received within nest is best shown inFIGS. 2 and 6 as having a resilient gasket 42 therein and a pair ofscore lines 46 defining a tear strip 47 therebetween commencing with agripping ear 48 and extending from the free edge 49 of the cap skirt 50across the skirt and top cap 51. As shown in FIG. 6 the upper portion ofthe cap 41 is received within the nest 25 and the sidewall 43 of saidnest extends downwardly a suflicient distance to be horizontally belowthe lowermost edge 44 of the gasket 42 after the cap is fully seatedover the bottle opening. This wall 43 serves to back up the skirt 50during the compression of the gasket 42 upon the seating of the cap 41and prevents said skirt from bulging outwardly particularly in the areaof the score lines 46.

Each of the jaws are of identical construction, except for sealinganvils 60 and 80 which are secured thereto and which will be describedin detail thereinafter. In the disclosed embodiment twelve jaws aredisclosed as being spaced about the cap receiving nest 25 but thatnumber may be varied without departing from the scope of the invention.The upper end of each jaw 28 has a recess 29 forming a seat about thesupporting shoulder 26 and an oppositely formed heel 30. A cam surface32 extends about the inner surface of the lower edge of the housing 7which engages the heel and prevents dislodgement of the jaws from theirpivotal mounting over the shoulder 27. As seen in FIG. 2 the jaws 28 arenormally retained in expanded position by the engagement of wheel 30with the cam sunface 32. An inclined cam surface 33 is formed on thelower outer surface of each jaw and is acted upon by a closing sleeve 34consisting of a plurality of individual arcuately shaped segments 35. Inthe disclosed embodiment four segments of equal dimension are shown butthe particular number of such segments could be varied without departingfrom the scope of the invention. Each segment 35 has a recess 36 formedat its upper portion for pivotally engaging the outer end of a flange 37formed on the base of the housing 7. The lower internal surface 38 ofeach segment 35 is inclined at an acute angle slightly greater than thatof the jaw camming surface so that downward movement of each segment 35which comprises the closing sleeve 34 relative to the insert 23 and thecap receiving nest 25 causes the jaws 28 to be cammed radially inwardly.The inclined surface 38 of each segment 35 is retained in contact withthe inclined surface 33 on the corresponding jaws 28 by means of spring31. As shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, springs 31 are illustrated as fourseparate elements secured to each of the segments 35 by means of pins39. A single continuous spring might also be employed for this purposewithout departing from the invention.

In operation a bottle 40 is located in vertical alignment with the capapplying head 1 with a lightweight metal cap 41 loosely placed over thebottle neck opening as shown in FIG. 2. The cap applying head 1 is movedtoward the cap and bottle by means of the actuating means 3. In thedownward movement of the head 1 the nest 25 carried on said headreceives the cap 41 and presses the cap onto the bottle opening thustightly compressing the gasket 42 between the cap and the gasketreceiving portion 56 on the bottle opening. When the resistance of thenest 25 to the downward movement of cylinder 6 exceeds the resistance ofspring 18 to the upward movement of spindle 15, cylinder 6 and sleeve 9will continue their downward movement while the spindle 15 and capreceiving nest 25 remain stationary. The resultant pressure issuificient to properly seat the cap 41 as described above. Since thepivotal bearing surface for the jaws 28 remain stationary with spindle15 the continued downward movement of the cylinder 6 and the closingring segments 35 will cause the jaws 28, through the camming action ofthe inclined surfaces 33 and 38, to pivot radially inwardly so thatsealing anvils 60 and 88 will form the cap skirt inwardly into sealingengagement with the underlying skirt receiving portion of the containerlip 45. Any irregularities in the bottle neck or lip to which to whichthe cap is applied is automatically compensated for by the springs 31which override the downward movement of the housing 7 for oversizebottle conditions and allow the closing segments 35 to moveindependently for out of round bottle conditions. A tight pressure sealhaving been effected the downward force on the head 1 is releasedallowing the shaft 6 to be displaced upwardly about the spindle 15 andin so doing the cam surfaces 32 on the interior of housing 7 contact thejaw heel 30 pivoting the jaws back to their expanded or relaxedposition.

Turning now to a more detailed discussion of the jaw sealing anvils and80, they are seen in FIG. 4 alternately arranged in an annulus andformed as separate members secured to the bottom surfaces of the jaws byscrews 53 and locking pins 54. In is also contemplated that the anvilmight be formed as in integral portion of the jaw 28. As shown in FIG. 7the set of anvils 60 each include a top surface 61, a bottom surface 62,substantially vertical side surfaces 63 and apertures 64 and 65 forreception of the screws and pins 53 and 54 respectively. The sidesurfaces 63 are partially cut away to provide a pair of inclinedsurfaces 66. As shown it can be seen that each of the inclined surfaces66 are machined on a compound angle so as to lie in a plane forming anupward and inward approximate 45 degree angle at the leading side edge67 of the surface 66 and tapering back outwardly to a point 68 along thejuncture of top surface 61 and side surface 63 on an approximate 10degree slant. The latter value would of course vary according to thenumber of jaws used to form the annulus. The line 69 thus forms thejuncture between the vertical side surface 63 and the inclined surface66. The nose of the anvil has an arcuate forming surface 70 which isdefined by the angled side edges 67 and is contoured to conform to theshape of the lower lip surface 55 of the bottle opening.

The set of anvils indicated by the numeral have basically the reversecontour of the anvils 60. Each anvil 80 comprises a top surface 81, abottom surface 82, substantially vertical side surfaces 83 and apertures84 and 85 for reception of the screws and pins 53 and 54 respectively.The side surfaces 83 are partially cut away to provide a pair ofinclined surfaces 86 machined on a compound angle and which lie in aplane forming an upward and outward approximate 45 degree angle at theleading side edge 87 and taper back outwardly to a point 88 along thejuncture of bottom surface 82 and side surface 83 thus forming ajuncture line 89 between the vertical side surface 83 and the inclinedsurface 86. The nose of the anvil 80 has an arcuate forming surface 90which is defined by the angled side edges 87 and like forming surface 70and is contoured to conform to the shape of the lower lip surface 55 ofthe bottle opening.

As mentioned earlier a major problem that has presented itself inadapting the crimp sealing principle to lightweight tear off caps of thetype herein described has been the puckering or pleating in the lowercap skirt area which has heretofore resulted from the skirt beingpinched between the jaws as they contract to sealing position. Thisundesirable prior art condition not only detracted from the overallappearance of the cap but also seriously impaired the effectiveness ofthe seal as the pleat thus formed created -a potential leakage path. Ifa leakage path was not initially created an even more serious problemdeveloped in that at some subsequent time a reasonable build up ofinternal pressure would cause these pleats to spring open and releasethe cap from the container. Furthermore there existed in these prior artdevices a reason-able chance of one of the vertically oriented scorelines formed in the cap skirt falling directly in align-ment with one ofthe joints between the jaws. Inasmuch as the skirt is intentionallyweakened in these areas to facilitate tearing it can readily beappreciated that pinching of the metal between jaws at these pointswould be likely to fracture the same and result in a defective cap fromthe outset.

'FIG. 5 illustrates how the anvils 60 and 80 interact to eliminate theabove described puckering or pleating condition. This view shows theleading or forming surfaces of the anvils 60 and 80 with the jaws inclosed or sealing position and forming a tightly closed annulus. Theinclined side surfaces 66 and 86 are in abutting relationship with thejuncture of their leading edges 67 and 87 disposed in 45 degree lines asshown. As the. jaws move progressively radially inwardly from theirexpanded position to their closed or sealing position, the cap skirt 50is formed inwardly and the natural tendency of the metal skirt is topucker or pleat in straight vertical lines. However with the juncturebetween the anvil edges 67 and 87 forming a 45 degree angle pinching ofthe metal in the joint between the jaws is eliminated since that jointnow extends at an angle to the vertically oriented skirt pleats orwrinkles. The result is thus to iron out the pleats or wrinkles againstthe underlying bottle lip surface 55. By having the crimping jaws, ormore specifically the sealing surfaces of the crimping jaws, close on anangle, it is impossible to create a vertical leakage path throughpleating or pinching because the overlapping surfaces of the jaws, asviewed in FIG. 5, insure a continuous annular forming surface. Even ifthe joint between two adjacent ed-ges 67 and 87 were to overlie one ofthe score lines 46 no damage to the cap would result since the jointsand the score lines cross harmlessly at an angle.

The cap applying apparatus herein described substantially improves uponconventional prior art capping devices and makes possible the use of thecrimping principle in applying lightweight metal caps to bottles andlike containers where substantial internal pressures must be retained.Heretofore it has been thought necessary to employ comparativelyexpensive roll-on or spinning equipment to apply closures of thisnature. The crimping device of this invention reverses this thought andmakes it possible to effect a pressure seal on containers in aneconomical manner and at speeds compatible with present day automatedproduction requirements. In addition the apparatus herein disclosed isadapted for ready conversion of standard high speed crowning equipmentmaking production changeover to tear off convenience closures much lesscostly.

Other changes in and modifications of the construction and differentembodiments of the invention would suggest themselves to those skilledin the art and could be made without departing from the spirit or scopeof the invention. It is accordingly intended that all matter containedin the above description, or shown in the accompanying drawing shall beinterpreted as being illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having described our invention what we claim is new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. The apparatus for applying to containers metal caps having adisc-like top, a skirt depending therearound and a gasket positioned atthe juncture of said top and skirt, comprising a plurality of individualannularly arranged crimping jaws, said jaws forming an annular sealingsurface, annularly arranged camming means for moving said jaws radiallyinwardly into sealing engagement with a container neck, said cammingmeans including overriding means adapted to compensate for containerneck diameter variations, and a downwardly opening cap receiving nestcentrally located within said annulus, said nest having a centralportion adapted to overlie said cap top and a depending cylindrical wallextending downwardly so as to surround substantially all of said gasket.

2. In cap applying apparatus, a sealing head including a plurality ofannularly arranged crimping jaws, each of said crimping jaws including asealing anvil having a top surface, a bottom surface, opposite sideedges and an arcuate cap forming surface, means for moving said anvilsradially inwardly into a closed sealing annulus, said anvil side edgeshaving angularly disposed coacting surface portions whereby the line ofjuncture between adjacent jaws extends circumferentially at an acuteangle with respect to the axis of said annulus.

3. In cap applying apparatus as in claim 2 wherein said surface portionsare formed on a compound angle.

4. In cap applying apparatus as in claim 2, wherein said adjacentsurface portions of said sealing anvils are angularly complementary.

5. In cap applying apparatus, a sealing head including a plurality ofindividual, annularly arranged crimping jaws, said jaws forming anannular sealing surface, a plurality of annularly arranged c ammingsegments for moving said jaws radially inwardly, yieldable meansconnecting said segments to compensate for container neck diametervariations, and a dished, downwardly opening, cap receiving nestcentrally located within said jaws.

6. An apparatus for securing a closure cap to the opening of a containercomprising, a plurality of sealing members, each of said sealing membersproviding a sealing surface which forms a portion of a complete sealingannulus, and each of said sealing surfaces being bordered by side edgesextending at an acute angle to the axis of said annulus wherebycircumferential overlapping of adjacent sealing surfaces is effected.

7. An apparatus for securing a closure cap to the open ing of :acontainer comprising, a plurality of sealing members, each of saidsealing members providing a sealing surface which forms a portion of acomplete sealing annulus, and the juncture of each of said adjacentsealing surfaces extending diagonally across said sealing surface at anacute angle to the axis of said annulus.

8. An apparatus for securing a closure cap to the opening of a containercomprising, a plurality of sealing members, each of said sealing membershaving a forming surface which provides a portion of a complete sealingannulus and acutely angularly disposed coacting sidewall surfaceportions on each sealing member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,672,278 6/ 1928 Oslund et al53354 XR 2,325,160 7/1943 Goodwin 53354 2,355,385 8/1944- Lowry 53--'344XR 2,579,775 12/1951 Allen et val. 53--353 XR 3,075,331 1/196'3 Stanley53-353 GRANVILLE Y. CUSTER JR., Primary Examiner.

1. THE APPARATUS FOR APPLYING TO CONTAINERS METAL CAPS HAVING ADISC-LIKE TOP, A SKIRT DEPENDING THEREAROUND AND A GASKET POSITION ATTHE JUNCTURE OF SAID TOP AND SKIRT, COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF INDIVIDUALANNULARLY ARRANGED CRIMPING JAWS, SAID JAWS FORMING AN ANNULAR SEALINGSURFACE, ANNULARLY ARRANGED CAMMING MEANS FOR MOVING SAID JAWS RADIALLYINWARDLY INTO SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH A CONTAINER NECK, SAID CAMMINGMEANS INCLUDING OVERRIDING MEANS ADAPTED TO COMPENSATE FOR CONTAINERNECK DIAMETER VARIATIONS, AND A DOWNWARDLY OPENING CAP RECEIVING NESTCENTRALLY LOACTED WITHIN SAID ANNULUS, SAID NEST HAVING A CENTRALPORTION ADAPTED TO OVERLIE SAID CAP TOP AND A DEPENDING CYLINDRICAL WALLEXTENDING DOWNWARDLY SO AS TO SURROUND SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF SAID GASKET.